Friday, July 31, 2009

Lady Saw (born Marion Hall, 12 July 1972 Saint Mary Jamaica), is a Jamaican reggae singer, known as "the first Lady of Dancehall". She is the first female deejay to win a Grammy Award and to be certified a triple -platinum artist. She is also the first woman to headline dancehall shows outside her native Jamaica.

While lyrics about guns and masculine themes dominated the dancehalls of West Kingston, she sang sexually explicit lyrics, known as "slackness", from her perspective as a female. Recording for the local Diamond label, she released early hits like "If Him Lef" and "Stab Out de Meat", which was often met with mixed reaction by audiences. At that time, she also became known for her raucous stage shows, which usually included picking men from the audience (or sometimes her own band members) to pull on stage and to simulate sex acts with.

Due to her penchant for outspokeness and what was considered vulgarity, she was banned from many events due to her lyrics. Male contemporaries of Lady Saw were performing similar lyrics and stage shows, but as a female, Lady Saw endured censorship and even outright banning in more than a few Jamaican parishes. She continued to be outspoken though, and often addressed controversial topics such as unfaithful lovers, female degradation, and safe sex in the wake of the emergence of AIDS (with her single "Condom"). Subsequent hits like "No Long Talking", "Sycamore Tree", and "Find a Good Man" further fueled her success as Jamaica's most prominent female deejay.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

The band members began as friends who knew each other from various colleges and schools across Birmingham. The name "UB40" was selected in reference to the document issued to people claiming unemployment benefit from the UK government's Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) at the time of the band's formation. The designation UB40 stood for Unemployment Benefit, Form 40

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Monday, July 27, 2009

The Twinkle Brothers were formed in 1962 by brother Norman (vocals, drums) and Ralston Grant (vocals, rhythm guitar) from Falmouth, Jamaica. The band was expanded with the addition of Eric Barnard (piano), Karl Hyatt (vocals, percussion), and Albert Green (congas, percussion). After winning local talent competitions, they recorded their first single, "Somebody Please Help Me" in 1966

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Friday, July 24, 2009

"We're not here to start a physical revolution, we're just here to open everybody's eyes and let them check themselves and continue in a very educational mode to change things on that tip", Hinds explains. "We're losing ourselves and I think it's very important for us to realize that. Too many of our youths have been lost to drugs, or by the gun, or not having the education needed to persevere and move in an upward direction. I think RAGE & FURY will contribute to their enlightenment."

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Worked with King Tubby. U-Roy’s success continued throughout the 1970s, most famously with the album Dread in a Babylon with its iconic picture of him disappearing in a cloud of cannabis smoke while holding an enormous pipe, and a song called Chalice in the Palace, fantasising about smoking with Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace.

1. Rude Boys Back In Town 4:202. A Little Bit Of Riddim (featuring Cherine Anderson) 4:183. Life In The City 3:544. Hey World (Remote Control Version) 4:175. All I Want Is You 5:016. Say Hey (I Love You) (featuring Cherine Anderson) 3:557. I Got Love For You 4:118. Soundsystem (featuring Cherine Anderson) 4:129. Hey World (Don't Give Up Version) 4:0910. The Future 4:3811. High Low (featuring Zap Mama) 4:0112. Nobody Right, Nobody Wrong 3:5113. Have A Little Faith 3:54

CD Description - The follow-up to the critically acclaimed "Yell Fire". "All Rebel Rockers" is Franti's fiery protest music and thought-provoking lyrics backed by seductive elements of dub, infectious dance music, and irresistible hook-infused soul. Franti has toured and performed with everyone from U2, Dave Matthews Band, Ziggy Marley, and REM to Digable Planets, Cypress Hill, The Fugees, and A Tribe Called Quest. The deluxe verion contains a bonus DVD with 4 new Michael Franti videos and a featurette on the making of All Rebel Rockers.

CD Description - One of the kingpins of Jamaican reggae music, Banton delivers his most musically audacious work to date. This album unites Buju's vocals with organic roots reggae rhythms carefully crafted by a select aggregation of Kingston, Jamaica's finest musicians. His 1992 debut "Mr. Mention" earned him more #1 singles than any other Jamaican artist, including Bob Marley, and his 1995 Grammy-nominated "'Til Shiloh" remains one of the best-selling reggae albums of all time.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Saturday, July 18, 2009

From the 'hard-working, soulful school', the self-styled "Don" - was orphaned at the age of two and brought up in Kingston's Alpha Catholic Boys School and Home - the first home for many of Jamaica's musical talents. His reputation precedes him as one of Jamaica's most outrageous and colourful characters, and he is held in high esteem by the reggae fraternity, to the point where his name is often discussed not only with reverence but in awe.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Half Pint's is small in stature but has a terrific voice and huge on-stage presence. Born Lindon Roberts, but affectionately called Half Pint, he is a product of the West Kingston enclave of Rose Lane, a community in adjacent proximity to Trenchtown which has produced the likes of Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Peter Tosh, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Toots Hibbert and a host of other international Reggae superstars. He was nicknamed “Half Pint” by a Mr. Brown, who was the father of one of his mother’s friends in nearby Waterhouse.

Pint’s first single, “Sally,” was released in 1983 followed by “Winsome,” which went on to be covered by the Rolling Stones in 1987.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Tubby's innovative studio work, which saw him elevate the role of the mixing engineer to a creative fame previously only reserved for composers and musicians, would prove to be highly influential across many genres of popular music. He is often cited as the inventor of the concept of the remix, and so may be seen as a direct antecedent of much dance and electronic music production.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

The melodica, also known as 'blow-organ' is a free-reed instrument similar to the accordion and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole, allowing air to flow through a reed. The keyboard is usually two or three octaves long. Melodicas are small and light enough to be carried around.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Tall, dreadlocked Junior Kelly is a devout Rastafarian on a serious musical mission which is manifested through the quality of his contemplative lyrics, the diversity of his substantial subject matter and his inspirational delivery.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Fantan Mojah is notable for being one of the new wave of contemporary reggae singers who prefer to include positive themes in their lyrics. Like some popular new reggae singers, he is a Bobo Ashanti. His faith is reflected in his lyrics, where some recurring themes are - praise for Jah and messages of Rastafari, positive portrayal of women, and condemnation of ill morals.